Improvement in grain-smtltter, scourer, and separator



HUNT & INGRAHAM.

v Smut'Mill.

No. 98,266. I I Patented Dec, 28, 1869.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Fig. 2

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HUNT & INGBAHAM.

Smut- Mill.

2 Sheets-Sheet. 2.

No. 98,266. 0 Patented Dec. 28, I869.

Witnesses .Z. 94 Mm.) w fiu w N-PETEHS, FHOTb-LITNOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON D C fitnitrd fitatw ma Qtfljliua.

JOHN C. HUNT, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, AND WILLIAM W. INGRA- HAM, OF GHIOAGO, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 98,266, dated ldecember 28, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-SMUTTER, SCOURER, AND SEPARAI'OR.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN C. HUNT, of Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo, and State of Indiana, and WILLIAM W. INGBAHAM, of Chicago, in the county of Cook, and Stateof Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improved Grain-Smutter, Scourer, and Separator, and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact'description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and theletters and figures marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of our improved machine;

Figure 2, an elevation of the other side of the machine, with a portion of the side and perforated drum removed;

Figure 3, a longitudinal vertical section at the line x; Figure 4, a transverse vertical section at theline y; Figure 5, a top view of one of the scouring knives, with one of the rings which hold the same; and

Figure 6, a section at the dotted line 2. The nature of our invention consists in 'the securing.-

knives or heaters; the pile of rings which hold the same in place and admit air through the grain; the combination of the two fans with the scouring-drum and spouts, as hereafter described; and also in the discharge-valve at the bottom of the scouring-drum.

To enable those skilled .in the art to understand how. to manufacture and use our invention, we will prooeedto describe the same with particularity. I

There is an ordinary substantial frame, A, across the bottom of which there is a cross-piece, B, in which there is a step for the shaft 0.

There is a 'pulley, D, on the shaft 0, by which it is driven; and there are also on said shaft t'wo fans, E and F, for creating a blast of air to clean the grain, as hereafter described.

Between the fan-chambers there is a perforated drum, H, in which the grain is scoured by means of the notched heaters or scourers I, which are intended to be made of steel.

These scouring-knives are held in place by the rings .J, which lay in a pile on the shaft 0, as shown in the -drawings, and are revolved with the shaft.

The scouring-loaves or heaters are arranged spirally around the pile of rings, each one being placed in a mortise in a ring, the shape of which is clearly shown in fig. 5,.and they are held down in the niortises by the next ring above.

By loosening the rings the heaters are readily removed.

The rings are made open at K, and there are airpassages, L, for the air to pass ii eely'through the through the opening 0, discharges it at the dischargespout F.

There is one opening, (I, in the side of the machine,

for admitting air ii-eely through the scouring-drum, as

above described.

There is also an opening, 0, from the space outside of the scouring-drum in the chamber containing the blast-fan 1*, through which all the dust which passes through the perforations in the drum H is drawn, to be discharged as above described.

There is a double spout, M, extending over the top of the machine, the partition N dividing them their entire length, and there is an opening from each of said spouts at 0, through which the air is drawn into the blast-fan E. 1

. Theblast-fan E is so arranged as to draw its air through the openings 0, and discharge it at E.

The grain to be cleaned is poured into the hopper P, and falls through a strong blast of air, which is drawn through one side of the double spout M by the blast-fan E, which takes out all the straw, chaff, oats, 850., carrying them over and discharging them at the other end of the spout, either at Q or through the fan at- E.

The heavy grain falls into the hopper R, and passes f a blast of air drawn through it all the while by the blast-fan 1+, as above described.

The air-ports or holes-L being arranged spirally in the pile of rings, as shown in fig. 2, the motion of the pile of rings serves also to produce a current of air through them, and the rings are held a little distance apart, as shown, so that the air passes between them through the grain.

There is a valve, T, over an opening at the bottom of the scouring-drum, through which the grain is discharged into the other part of thedouble spout M, through a blast of air being produced therein by the blast-fan E, as above described.

This blast of air takes out all the remaining dust or .dirt, carrying it over to be discharged either at Q, (there .can be drawn so as to close either side of the spout, or

partially close either side, as may be desired.

There are also swinging-valves, 71 which serve to carry the coarser material that is drawn over in the spouts M down to pass out at Q, instead of being drawn through the blast-fan E with the air. 7

They can be raised and lowered by the pins 11, as desired.

There are also slides, j, on each side of the spout M, that can be opened or closed to admit air, or not, directly to the blast-fan, without its being drawn through the spouts M. Opening these slides more or less regulates the force of the draught of air through the spouts, soas to take more or. less heavy material from the grain, as above described.

When it is desired to make a heavy draught of air or suction through the grain, before it passes into the scouring-drum, which may be desirable when there is a good deal of straw or other foreign material among the grain, the slides j are closed, and the slide V is drawn so as to turn all the suction of the fan E through that side ofthe spout M, or if it is desired to draw a strong cnrrentof air through the scoured grain as it passes from the machine, the slideV may be drawn so as to turn the entire suction of the fan through that side of the double spout.

The suction of air through either or both legs of the spout may be entirely regulated by the slides j and VI The rapidity of the passage of grain through the scouring-drum H is regulated by the valve T. The scouring-drum H is kept full of grain, which is scoured and cleaned by the notched heaters or scourers I constantly rubbing and stirring it, consequently the grain is not broken as in other machines where the grain falls from one side of the machine to another, or'is thrown about in the machine; and if it is'desired to scour the graina good deal, or to polish the grain, the

supply-hopper thereto isso arrahged' that the grain V will always flow into thedrum as fast as it passes out. Our machine differs from other machines in the fact that our machine should always have the scouringhopper full of grain, while other machines will not opcrate when it is full.

We do not wish to limit ourselves to placing the escape-valve T at the bottom of the drum H, as the spiral arrangement of the scourers I will cause the grain to pass through the scouring-hopper if the grain is fed at the bottom, and passes out at or near the top thereof.

In the annexed drawings, n represents the handle of the valve T, and an, pin-holes in the frame of the machines, for placing pins so as to fasten the valve more or less closed, as above described.

The valve ,may be weighted for the same purpose, or be operated by a spring, if desired.

Having fully described the construction and operation of our machine,

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,'is-

1. The scouring knives 0r beaters I, when constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein; specified and shown. V

2. The rings J, when constructed andoperating substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The scouring-drum, provided with an inlet, and outlet, and scourers or heaters for scouring the grain, when they are so constructed and arranged that the scourers or beaters revolve in a mass of grain in the drum, substantially as and for the purposes specified and shown.

J. O. HUNT. Witnesses: W. W. INGRAHAM.

LEWIS L. CQBURN,

J. L. 0013mm. 

